„What if I say that my heart never beats fast for you?“

Sound had heard people say that words could cut like a knife, but until the day Win said those words to him he hadn’t realized how accurate that sentence really was.

The piercing pain in his heart was accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of numbness. Even the sound of the waves caressing the sand of the nearby beach seemed to fade out, the lights around them continuously losing their brightness.

He should have known better.

He should have known that Win wouldn’t see more in him than a friend at the utmost, more likely just a classmate that happened to also be part of the music club.

He should have known that confessing to him was the most idiotic decision he could ever make.

Maybe a tiny part of him had simply hoped that he might get a bonus from being SoundAbout, the famous guitarist, had hoped that this little bit of stardom would be enough to make Win fall for him more easily.

Maybe his classmate Gun, their band leader, had also played his part, talking him into this mess by telling him that there was a chance for him, even though he of all people should have probably stopped him, knowing Win better than anyone else.

Maybe his first love just shouldn’t come to be.

So yeah, Sound really should have known better.

Apparently he had just read way too much into Wins actions. His classmate was caring, obviously, even towards Sound, the guy he’d originally despised on day one after Sound’s transfer into the new school. At the beginning they had fought continuously, bickering about everything from Win’s alleged bad handling of the bass to Sound’s bossiness when he’d temporarily taken over the position as their band leader, much to everyone’s dissatisfaction. But at some point the mutual hatred had faded, had turned into something new, just friendship at first, but then...

Initially Sound himself hadn’t even realized what was going on, hadn’t been able to explain to himself why he’d been impressed so much by Win actually stepping on stage during that rap competition, even if it had been obvious right from the start that he wouldn’t stand a chance. He’d been dressed in that weird Win-way, there was no other way to describe that eye-cancer provoking combination of bright green and purple. He had looked ridiculous and unfortunately he had also sounded pretty ridiculous as his stage fright had gotten the best of him. Still, when everyone had started laughing and booing him, Sound had stepped in, had acted without thinking, had convinced the crowed to hear Win out, to give him a chance, to give kudos to the nervous game addict in front of them that had actually dared to walk onto the stage. While he had spoken to the audience, he’d felt Win’s attention on him, his initial disbelieve that had slowly turned into something close to gratitude and somehow it had felt incredible. Incredible right. 

As right as the hug he’d received after Win’s not exactly flawless performance.

Not as if it had been all sunflowers and butterflies after that one night, though.

It hadn’t taken long for them to restart their daily routine of bickering about the smallest of things, Sound allegedly being a killjoy while Win wasn’t taking their rehearsals for the upcoming “Hot Wave” competition serious enough. So on that fateful day when they’d been declared one of the couples for the music video that they had to produce for one phase of the competition, both had already been bristling with anger from their latest fight, almost starting a brawl while just discussing the MV. Accordingly Sound really hadn’t been interested in having Win, of all people, as his personal badminton trainer and even though he’d tried to be professional at first, Win hadn’t been really keen of teaching him either, quickly losing his temper when Sound had messed up time and time again. And some point Win had just left, giving up on him and Sound hadn’t been sure whether he should be grate- or regretful over being left on his own.

Unexpectedly, Win had returned later, searching for his wallet that he’d forgotten on the bench of the gym. Sound had been annoyed at first to see him return, expecting him to immediately mock him for his bad playing, but much to his surprise, Win had instead just pointed out that the game required two players and then he had simply walked over to his previous spot on the other side of the net.

A kinda nice gesture, but definitely no reason to fall for him, right?

If only it hadn’t started to rain during their practice.

If only Win hadn’t pouted in a somewhat adorable way when Sound had told him that his umbrella was way too small for two people and hadn’t still continued to beg him to share.

If only he hadn’t hugged Sound all of a sudden from behind with this mischievous smile, squeezing himself also under the tiny umbrella in the process,  before stating that now the rain wouldn’t be able to get to Sound.

If none of that had happened, Sound most likely wouldn’t have developed this damn crush on his frenemy.

At the beginning it hadn’t been too bad.

Yes, the kiss for the music video with nothing but a thin golden medal separating their lips had been a challenge, especially as it had also been a disillusioning experience when it became more than obvious that Win wasn’t into kissing him at all. The way the other had been shaking, had been pulling back without finishing the scene multiple times, just because he couldn’t go through with it… it would be a lie to say that it hadn’t hurt.

But at that time Sound was still okay with it.

A few stolen glances here and there, maybe sitting next to Win if possible… Sound was content with these small things. He'd kept telling himself that it was just a short lived infatuation anyway, caused by that rainy night and the fact that Win neither cared about his status as an idol nor backed down in any way when they had a fight. They were on eye level and that felt good. In his previous school, most people had only been interested in hanging out with him for his fame, so having someone around him who didn’t give a was a highly welcomed change.

Furthermore there was also this weird club rule which stated that none of them was allowed to be in a relationship until Hot Wave was over, but Sound was quite sure that his first little teenage crush wouldn’t live that long anyway, so whatever.

That was until the jealously kicked in.

At first Sound thought he hadn’t heard right when that stupid schoolmate of them had actually dared to ask for Win’s chat ID during their practice for that goofy play (seriously, Romeo and Juliet?) the school had been planning. But then the girl had claimed to like rap music as well and Sound just hadn’t been able to think straight anymore, all he had known was that he somehow had to step in between them, figuratively and literally. So he did so with an (even to his ears) embarrassingly fake clearing of this throat, asking Win whether they should start their rehearsal, before glaring at the girl who had nodded and smiled brightly, seemingly not even noticing the daggers Sound was shooting from his eyes. They had been tied together then, Win and him, around their waists.  Unfortunately there was no way Sound could enjoy their proximity, not after Win had just accepted that stupid girl’s ID.  

And things had gotten even worse when Win all of a sudden had told him that he needed to use the restroom. Sometimes he really had the worst timing ever... So, still tied together, Sound had been forced to follow him around, had been forced to listen to Win’s seemingly endless bragging about getting the girl’s chat ID.  

And maybe, just maybe, hearing how happy he’d seemed about something so unimportant had been the reason for Sound to start mocking Win, asking him whether he’d actually never been hit on before, even if he knew exactly that the other would be offended.

And also maybe, just maybe, Sound might have used the instantly following quarrel to talk Win into deleting the ID right then and there, just to prove that he’d actually turned down as many people on tinder as he had claimed. Fine, maybe all of this had been proven to be unnecessary just a few minutes later when they’d discovered that the girl actually had a girlfriend and really had just wanted to talk about music, but evil as it might seem, Sound regretted nothing.

But karma’s a b*tch and so it didn’t take long to come back at Sound, taking the shape of a sprained wrist while Hot Wave was already creeping closer. But again, Sound regretted nothing, as it was Win of all people who became suspicious when Sound had to leave rehearsal earlier time and time again. He had even followed him to the doctor’s practice, waiting in front of the door for who knows how long just to demand an explanation. When Sound had seen him standing there with his beloved scooter, he’d expected the worst. After all it had been Sound who’d constantly told everyone to practice more and now it was him who had to cut his own practice short. But instead of gloating or being angry, Win had actual seemed to worry about his wellbeing, offering him a ride back to school, asking him to allow him to be his hand for as long as he needed him.

The moment when Win had gently put the helmet on Sounds head was when that stupid crush turned into a love so obvious that there was no way Sound was able to deny it any longer, not even in front of himself.

It had gotten only worse from there with every little gesture, whether it was Win feeding him meat (seriously, Sound could have done that easily himself), carrying his bag or opening a bottle for him.

The day when Win had carefully taken his hand and had lifted it to have a better look at it, asking him whether his wrist was better now,  Sound’s heart had been beating so loud that he’d actually been afraid the other might hear it. He’d tried to calm himself down by playing it cool, by mockingly asking Win whether he was worried about him and fortunately – and also unfortunately – it had worked. Seemingly a little embarrassed by his own actions, Win had let go of his hand immediately, claiming that he had just been worried about their band and that Sound might not be able to play guitar, but while he’d said that, he’d looked anywhere but at him, which, for the first time, had sparked a little bit of hope inside of Sound.

A hope that Win might feel the same.

Without thinking Sound had added that he had a very good caretaker, not caring how flirty and cheesy it might seem and Win had looked proud, so proud and cute at the same time.

For a few hours Sound had thought things might had developed between them, but he’d been wrong.

Win hadn’t been any different after that day, just the friendly but hot-headed loudmouth he’d always been and therefore Sound slowly but surely had started to realize that all of it had most likely been only in his head, nothing more than his imagination and wishful thinking.

Win had never felt anything for him.

Therefore Sound had started to do everything to regain control over his own feelings.

He’d kept his distance whenever he could, even though that had proven to be quite difficult given the fact that they did not only share the classroom but also the music club and therefore often had to stick together until deep in the night. He’d ignored most of Win’s text messages, had talked to him only if necessary and had turned down every invitation to hang out.

Briefly Sound had even been convinced that he could do it, that he could really fall out of love with his friend… and then their band mates had come up with their brilliant idea of a collective trip to the beach to relax and form a stronger bond.

Obviously Sound had been able to see Win’s confusion when he’d refused to take the seat in the van the other had reserved for him and instead had sat down in the front of the car just to make sure that nobody  (=Win) would be able to sit right next to him. While they had been on their way, he’d noticed Win staring at him through the rear mirror but Sound hadn’t dared to look back at him because he’d known it would have made things even harder.

Win must have noticed the change at some point, Sound had mused while the landscape had been flying past the window besides him. After all they had been friends, kinda, had been laughing together about the same jokes, had constantly been staying in contact, whether it was via chat or at school. Of course Sound had been aware of the fact that probably he had been hurting his classmate by avoiding him, even though it hadn’t been intentionally. The problem had been that Sound had absolutely no idea how to deal with this situation. He hadn’t been in love before, had no idea how to extinguish his burning heart with Win still close by his side. Therefore he hadn’t seen any other way than to distance himself as much as possible.

After they had arrived at their destination, Win had tried to talk to him several times, had tried to get his attention one way or another. In the end he’d even tried to annoy him just to make him snap, but Sound had refused to give in. 

What had originally been planned as a holiday had turned into an involuntary band practice spontaneously when a former leader of the music club had appeared out of nowhere. Not that Sound had minded, after all that had given him the opportunity to retreat to the beach, alone, to write a song. But his peace hadn’t been long lived. At some point Win had walked up to him, asking him directly what was wrong with him recently and for a moment, just a short moment Sound had wondered what might happened if he’d just told him the truth. 

In the end he’d done so, at least somehow, by handing Win the song he’d just written.

But Win being Win, of course his classmate hadn’t understood what Sound had been trying to tell him without saying the words directly. Instead the idiot he’d fallen for had just given him a confused look before asking him why the song he’d said would be about chasing a dream had turned into a sweet love song instead.

So Sound had tried to be a bit more precisely by asking Win whether he’d felt anything while reading the lyrics, despite his trembling knees and fear regarding the possible answer.

Win’s answer had been crushing, to put it mildly.

He’d straight up told Sound that he felt like the song wouldn’t suit him at all.

Caught within an unhealthy mixture of hurt, disappointment and anger Sound had ripped the sheet from Win’s hand, telling him that a like him would never understand and that it was just a waste of time, before he’d turned around and left, leaving his dumbfounded friend behind without looking back.

Sound had spent the following hours torn between self-pity and cursing himself for even trying. He’d known before that Win didn’t feel the same, so why, why had he even tried?! If only he had never said a word, had never shown Win the song he’d written with him in mind…

To make matters worse he’d also provoked a new argument by insulting him. Well done, Sound, well done.

He’d felt a little better after Gun had showed up all of a sudden, telling him that he was actually already breaking the club rule himself by secretly dating Tinn. Yeah, Sound might have been a little shocked by this revelation. However, what had shocked him even more was the fact that Gun had encouraged him to try again, pointing out that there might be several differences between him and Win, but nothing they couldn’t overcome.

Sound’s heart had seemed a little less heavy after this conversation.

Maybe, he had thought, he really should give it one last try. And given how dumb Win could be sometimes, he would need to be straight forward. At least afterwards he would have certainty once and for all, right?

So he‘d returned to their accommodation, prepared for the fight that would probably ensue between him and Win after his previous behaviour. He would try to calm the other down and then he would just tell him about this feelings to get it over with.

However, instead of being angry with him after his embarrassing outburst, Win had waited for him to apologize. His apology had been as weird as it could be with Win giving Sound leftovers of his own meal and a bottle of water. Relieved Sound had dared to mock him again, just a little, by asking him whether this was how he would make it up to him and that it wouldn’t suit Win at all. As expected, Win had been offended and told him to “don’t freaking drink then” but when he’d tried to pull the bottle away, Sound had been faster. Closing his hand around Win’s, he’d taken a sip from the water before thanking him in a calm voice and telling him that he’d actually been right, that the sweet love song wasn’t like him. When he’d added that he would write a new song based on how he truly felt, they’d been so close that Sound was almost certain that for a brief second there had been some kind of realisation in Win’s eyes, but neither of them had acknowledged it. Instead, Sound had asked Win to wait to hear his new song and Win had promise to do so.

 

And that’s what had brought them to this point.

Sound had put everything in the song, had added every word he’d so far never dared to tell Win directly.

The small crowed in front of the small stage on the beach had loved it, but that didn’t really matter.

The only thing that had actually mattered was the reaction of that one person who had been sitting in the first row, staring at Sound as if he’d finally, finally seen him for real.

After the music had faded out Sound had left the stage with quick steps, trying to bring as much distance between him and Win as possible.

Why had he done such an embarrassing thing?! Why had he even said on stage that he would use this song to represent his feelings for someone?! Yes, he’d been planning to tell Win… at some point. But doing it so openly had been incredible stupid. Being turned down now would be even worse than if it had happened in private, given the fact that now not only a bunch of random strangers but also the whole music club had a rough idea that something was going on!

That was when his name had been called in a familiar voice and a hand had reached for his wrist.

Win had been surprisingly calm, asking him when it had started, so Sound had told him.

What kind of reaction he had expected… Sound hadn’t known either at that moment. Maybe Win laughing about the fact that all it had taken for Sound to fall for him was a rain shower and a way too tiny umbrella.

But instead of bursting into laughter, the other had asked him the question. This damn, painful question which had had his world shattered into pieces within seconds.

„What if I say that my heart never beats fast for you?“

Sound had needed a moment to regain control, to blink away the tears that had threatened to form. His voice might have shaken a little when he’d seemingly nonchalantly told Win that then they would be back to being friends.

It had been a lie, an incredibly obvious one.  A lie so gigantic that even from Mars it would have been visible.

Just when Sound had felt like he couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, Win all of a sudden had told him that he would like to find out how it felt when his heart beat faster and therefore he would be willing to give it a try. Once again Sound had to blink away tears, however this time it had clearly been tears of joy. Giddy with excitement he’d grabbed Win by his collar, had pulled him closer and had told him that in that case he would hit on him until his heart would be beating fast. As expected, Win, his classmate, his buddy, his boyfriend, who had never backed down before also refused to do so now and hence Sound had been grabbed by his shirt as well and had been pulled so close that the tips of their noses had almost been touching. Only a low “bring it on” had been muttered and Sound hadn’t been able to stop himself from grinning and nodding.

 

 

So far, that was their story.

Sound was not only in love, since two weeks he was also in a kind of relationship with that one guy  he’d been secretly crushing on for the past few  months and furthermore Hot Wave was coming closer, the music competition both of them had been looking for for ages. Everything could have been perfect if only…

…Sound had the slightest idea how to actually hit on someone.

Groaning he let himself fall back on the mattress of his bed and covered his face with his right forearm. He was incredible grateful that Win was willing to give him a chance, really, he was! The problem was that he had absolutely no idea how to keep his promise of making Win’s heart beat faster.

Yeah okay, somehow he was pretty convinced that Win considered him at least a little attractive. And he obviously also liked him to a certain degree, otherwise he surely wouldn’t have agreed to be his boyfriend. But right now their relationship was just a word without any actual meaning. They would spend a little more time with each other than before, but unfortunately that was all.

No holding hands, no hugs, no kisses.

Sure, neither of them was an exactly romantic person but still Sound had hoped for at least a little more.

At the moment it just felt like their relationship was jinxed right from the beginning.

With not only Hot Wave but also the final exams looming over them, their spare time was highly limited, as they would rarely leave school before nightfall. Furthermore there was Sound’s tightly packed schedule. As most of the activities like photo shootings, fan events or recording sessions had been arranged to take place on weekends for the sake of his studies, there was barely any time left that they could spent together.

But even if they had time… it would still always come back to Sound’s initial problem: How to hit on somebody like Win?

Annoyed with himself he sat up and reached for his laptop. He couldn’t be the only one with this question, right?

He clicked on the icon of the web browser and opened a search engine. There must be answers out there. The internet wasn’t only for , after all, no matter what the countless memes regarding this matter said.

“30 smooth ways to hit someone up…”, he mumbled to himself while already clicking on the article. Only a second later he already wrinkled his nose in disappointment when he realized that the page was of course dedicated to men hitting on women and not men hitting on men.

Whatever.

As bad ideas were still better than no ideas at all, he printed the list immediately, determined to try out each and every of these steps, no matter how weird or awkward they might end up being. His time was running out in case they would end up going to different universities. He knew he had this unhealthy tendency of being jealous when it came to Win, so he didn’t even want to picture how he might behave in case Win would be surrounded by new, in the worst case attractive people without him around to keeping an eye on his boyfriend.

It wasn’t like he didn’t trust Win.

It was just that he didn’t trust anybody else out there in this regard.

With a beeping sound the printer informed him that the job was done and Sound set the laptop aside and got up to get the sheets.

“Aright… what do we have here…?” He sank down on his desk chair to read the first advice, automatically changing every “her” to a “him” in his mind without even noticing.

1. Make him feel special

Fair enough, Sound thought. After all Win was somebody special to him.

Everyone likes to feel special. He likes to think that he’s the only one for you and if you let him know, it’ll up your chances of taking him home. However, you need to be honest.

Feeling confused Sound read the advice twice. He had done that already. Hell, he had told Win through a song that he’d written just for him that he was in love with him. This ty advice wasn’t helpful at all!

Give him a lot of attention to let him know that you’re captivated by him only.

Fine, that one he could try. It wouldn’t take him much effort, since Win was constantly in the centre of his attention.

“Alright.” He placed the list in the drawer of his desk. Mission “Hitting on Win until he falls in love with Sound” would start tomorrow morning.

 

“Ai’Sound, what’s wrong with you today?!” Win whined only a few hours later. “You’ve been staring at me all day, it gives me goose bumps! Is there something on my face?” However Sound, taken aback by the unexpected outburst, didn’t even get the chance to explain that all he was trying to do was make Win feel special, as the centre of his attention already turned around to their classmate and band leader: “Gun, you tell me, is there something?!”

“Huh? No, you look just like you always do”, Gun confirmed after a way too meticulous examination of Win’s face that had Sound grit his teeth. If he hadn’t known that Gun was in a not so secret relationship with Tinn, Gun’s own face might have had a close encounter with his fist right now...

But before he could do something he might have regretted later, Win already shifted his attention back to him. “Stop it, alright?! It’s really sending shivers down my spine when you stare at me like this!”

“Oh shut up, I decide what I’m staring at!”

“Yah, am I an object or what? Looking for trouble, you idiot?!”

Great, Sound thought.  Really a great advice, the whole attention-thing. Well, at least it can’t get any worse than this.

 

 

2. Buy him a drink

This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people mess this one up. All you need to do is to buy him a drink and make sure he knows you were the one buying it for him. Often enough, this will make him walk right up to you. In case he doesn’t, just approach him to ask whether he liked it or not. Easy-peasy!

“Easy-peasy…!” Sound snarled under his breath, quickening his footsteps. The break was almost over and instead of spending the valuable time with Win like he should have, he’d been running around for the past twenty minutes, checking every vending machine in and close to the school in search of Win’s favourite soda but it had been sold out in every damn machine!

“Goddamn!” Unsurprisingly also the last vending machine had just greeted him with an empty space.  Disappointed he made his way back to the cafeteria to spend at least the last few minutes with Win. Or rather seconds, Sound thought crestfallen while staring on the ground in front of him, when all of a sudden someone blocked his path. Angrily he looked up, ready to tell the other student to off, but his features softened immediately when he saw who was standing there in front of him.

“Ai’Sound, where have you been?! I’ve been looking for you for at least fifteen minutes!” Win complained before tossing a bottle of soda in Sound’s direction which he barely managed to catch. “There, I bet you haven’t had lunch yet.” Not waiting for an answer he reached for Sounds hand to pull him towards the cafeteria. “I told the others to leave my leftovers alone, in case they obeyed you can have them.”

With a featherbrained smile, Sound let himself being pulled through the hallways of the school, eyes fixed on their interlaced fingers. Even though this advice was as ty as the first one, at least the outcome was something he definitely wouldn’t complain about.

 

 

3. Find an interesting topic to talk about

Many guys would prefer to talk about things they find interesting rather than about something boring like the weather. Therefore you should try to talk about something he likes (maybe the band he’s wearing a shirt of) or something you just heard on the news. This way it’s more likely that you’ll awake his interest.

“What do you mean, the newest single from Tilly Birds isn’t as good as the last one?!” Win stared at Sound as if he’d just told him that he liked to spend his evenings torturing adorable little kittens. “And you call yourself a musician?! Better get your ears checked as soon as possible, .”

“My ears are just fine, idiot! That’s why I can tell that it’s not that good.”

“Hey, calm down you two!” Por stepped in between them with a worried expression. “Everyone has a different taste!”

Win grimaced. “True, but some tastes are still better than others.”

Sound squinted his eyes, pushed Por aside (accidentally right in Tiwson’s arms) and grabbed Win by the collar. “Shut up, !”

 

 

4. Simply introduce yourself

People appreciate an honest approach. Just walk up to him, shake his hand and tell him your name to make him feel more comfortable when spending time with you.

“Who the even made this daffy list?!” Sound crumpled the useless piece of paper and tossed it angrily against the wall of his room.  So far each and every of the points on the list had been a disaster and it didn’t seem as if it would get any better.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down. There were still more than 25 advices left. Sooner or later there would be the right one to win his classmate’s heart once and for all. He couldn’t give up after just a few setbacks.

After his breathing rate has returned to normal, Sound walked over to the offensive paper ball and picked it up again, carefully smoothing it out before reading the next point.

 

 

5. Embarrass him a little

Remember the time in school when you teased you secret crush a little? You’re never too old for this tactic. Embarrass and slightly and he’ll feel defensive – in a good way.  This way you’ll stand out from guys who just use generic compliments. It’ll capture his attention and help start a conversation.

“There’s a cheese string on your chin.”

“What?!” Embarrassed Win wiped his chin quickly with the back of his hand while Sound watched him, grinning with a mischievous glint in his eyes before he responded: “Might sound cheesy but you’re still cute, with or without cheese.“

“Ai’Sound, stop it!” Win leaned over the table to flick Sound’s forehead. “Couldn’t you have told me earlier?! Now I know why the waitress grinned at me a few minutes ago!”

“What? Which waitress?!” Sound’s eyes immediately darted over towards the counter where the three waitresses had gathered. No one else but him had the right to grin at his boyfriend. Which one of these bitc…

“Doesn’t matter, I bet all of them have already been gossiping about it…” Win answered, obviously sulking. “I’ve lost my appetite. I’ll ask them to pack the rest of my pizza so I can take it home.”

Hearing that, Sound stabbed his own slice of pizza practically to death with his fork.

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Thanks to this amazing advice our first dinner date has just been cut short.

 

 

6. Make him laugh

If you’re funny and easygoing, he’ll feel at ease with you, so try to make him laugh. This definitely ups your chances of taking him home. If he can laugh freely around you, he’ll surely trust you more easily.

Sound let the list slide pack into his pocket and sighed. At least this one shouldn’t be that complicated, they had laughed about the same things before… Even though it was definitely easier to upset Win than to make him laugh.

As he walked past a few students who were standing in front of the lockers a few minutes later, he accidentally overheard a guy saying “You’re so hot – no wonder the glacier are melting” and couldn’t help but grin. Bad pickup lines were definitely something Win would laugh about as well, right?!

A quick online search later Sound felt ready for their sport lesson. While they were changing into their sportswear he leaned over to Win and whispered: “Ai’Win, if you were a burger the restaurant would surely call you Mc Handsome.”

“What?” Win looked at him dumbfounded, so Sound tried again: “Your outfit matches my duvet.”

“Wait, what? Your duvet looks like our school uniform? Why? Isn’t it annoying enough that we have to wear it every day?”

Third time is a charm. Sound exhaled audible before giving it one last try: “I’m already here. What are your other two wishes?”

Well, at least he had Win’s full attention, as he was staring at him for the next few seconds with a blank expression. In the end, he slowly lifted his hand before gently placing it on Sound’s forehead. “Are you not feeling well? Maybe you should skip phys ed and go see the nurse instead?”

 

 

7. Embarrass yourself

Instead of embarrassing him, simply embarrass yourself.  Make yourself look “bad” so he will pity you and with a bit of luck trigger his desire to want to help you.

“Nope, not again!” Sound snarled, his cheeks turning red immediately when he remembered how Win had just escorted him to the nurse despite all of his protests. He’d insisted on a check-up, even telling the woman that Sound had been saying weird things and that he was afraid that all of the stress might have taken a toll on him.

That was definitely enough embarrassment for one day.

 

 

8. Approach him while he’s alone

If you want to know how to hit on a guy you should also know when to leave him alone. Approaching a boy in a large group is usually a guarantor for failure, unless you’re familiar with one of his friends.  However if he’s alone or with only a few friends, go for it.

Sound rolled his eyes and was about to skip this aDvIce as well.

His problem was that even if he was with Win on an almost daily bases and could talk to him anytime, he was still not making any progress regarding their relationship, especially as they had almost no time alone- wait, maybe that was the real problem? He stopped in his tracks and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Yes! There was actually nothing scheduled for his evening! 

Quickly he pushed the device back into his pocket and continued his way from the restroom back to the classroom. He glanced at his wristwatch. Roughly five minutes left before the next lesson started, more than enough time to ask Win out.

About a minute later he flopped down on his chair and turned towards his boyfriend: “Ai’Win, do you have plans for tonight? If I remember correctly there’s no practice as Gun has to help his mom tonight with her Café.”

“Oh you’re right, I guess I’m free then. Why, are you asking me out?” Win gave him one of his damn half-sided grins that kept making Sound’s heart flutter, no matter how often they were directed at him.

No, concentrate!

“Cinema at 7? There’s this new superhero mov-”

“You two are going to watch that?! Can I tag along?!” Yo interrupted them, thereby also calling Pat’s attention to their conversation: “I wanted to see that too! Let’s all go together!”

Before Sound even got the chance to stop them, it was already decided that Por and Tiwson would join them as well. Tinn was the only one who sent Sound a pitiful glance and declined the  non-existing invitation politely, saying that he’d promised his mother to spend the evening with learning.

Sound sighed and accepted his destiny. Hopefully he would at least be lucky enough to sit next to his boyfriend during the movie.

The math lesson had already started when a small paperball landed on Sound’s table. He quickly grabbed it and hid it behind his pencil case before unfolding the message.

Nice try. Next time better ask me with no one else around,  fool. <3  

Sound had to bite his lower lip to hide is smile.

 

 

9. Take a wingman – Just don’t make it obvious

If you approach a guy while you’re with a friend, he’ll be more likely to talk to you because he doesn’t expect you to make a move on him as you’re already accompanied by someone.  This way it will be easier to start a conversation.

Sound immediately jumped to the next advice. Win knew exactly that Sound was trying to make a move on him, so there was absolutely nothing he could gather from this point.

 

 

10. Show him you’re having a good time and invite him to join you

Before you even begin to hit on someone, just have fun and make sure they all see that you’re having fun. When you show a guy how much fun he can have with you, he’ll probably want to get in on that fun and will be more accepting of your advances on him.

Fun… Sound stared for a few more seconds at the word before sighing and letting his head drop onto his desk. If he looked back at how Win and he had first met there was absolutely no way the other could think that it was fun to be around Sound.  On the other hand they had now reached a point where they could be friendly around each other, but fun? Sound knew he wasn’t the most outgoing person.  He had no idea how to prove to Win that it could be fun to be around him. As much as he loved music, he wasn’t exactly into partying and he knew that his boyfriend wasn’t into it either.

His phone vibrated next to him on the desk and Sound tiredly turned his head and reached for it, not even bothering to actually sit up straight. His heart fluttered a little when he saw that he’d received a message from Win.

“Found a new game that’s actually worth playing. Do you have an hour (or four) tonight?”

 

 

11. Don’t go out with the sole intention of hitting on someone

“Skip.” Sound mumbled to himself and yawned before concentrating on the next advice. Unfortunately Win’s prediction regarding the four hours had been scarily accurate and now both of them were tired AF. But that was fine. After all he’d been able to talk to his boyfriend for hours without any interruptions. And the game had been fun, too.

 

 

12. Spend some time subtly observing

No, don’t stare like a creep, but make sure to keep your eyes open. If you want to successfully hit on a guy, go for one who’s giving you the clearest signs that he’s interested, for example by making eye contact or smiling at you.

Sound wrinkled his nose. The “not staring”-part would have been a helpful advice regarding the “give him attention” part but now it was too late. Furthermore this point didn’t apply to them either, Win was smiling at him, at least sometimes.

 

 

13. Stay away from cheesy pickup lines

Make sure not to hit on him with a horrible pickup line that has been used in every romantic comedy. Instead, avoid them.

Seriously, was this list mocking him now?! Angrily Sound glared at the words. The pickup line-disaster was way too fresh in his memory, no way in hell he’d ever use one again!

 

 

14. Ask him to dance

By dancing with him, you’re basically hitting on him without words. Just don’t be creepy by trying to touch him inappropriately.

Sound felt his cheeks heating up while reading these words. He would never dare to – okay, fine. Never was maybe a little exaggerated. If he knew Win was alright with it, he would totally have his hands (and preferably also other body parts) all over him, but right now that was only his dirty little dream which was still far, far away from becoming reality.

And the dancing part… well, there was one tiny problem.

Win hated dancing.

Sound hated dancing as well.

Therefore there was absolutely no way Sound would take his boyfriend to a club.  It would be the most boring night ever, with the two of them just standing awkwardly in a corner, not being able to have a conversation with the music blasting. And what if Win would be approached by a random girl? Would he accept her chat ID even with Sound right next to him? Sure, he’d told him that he would give him a chance, but with Sound not making any progress in hitting on him he actually wouldn’t even blame Win if he let other people approach him as well. Besides their not-so-romantic evening in the cinema Win had probably not even realized that Sound was desperately trying to hit on him.

Sound sighed and tried to concentrate on the history lesson again, but after only a few minutes his thoughts drifted back to the really important topic.

He definitely couldn’t take Win to a club, the idea was just doomed right from the start. But he had to admit that the “hitting on him without words”-part sounded extremely enticing.

A sudden idea hit him and he quickly scribbled a short message on a corner of the paper in front of him before tearing it off, folding it and secretly handing it to Win who raised his eyebrows in question.

Not even a minute later the paper landed back in front of Sound.

I think I’ve forgotten most of the steps of the dance we had to practice for our graduation ceremony. Can you practice with me? Please! >-<

- Seriously? Why me? Ask Tinn, he’s good at it.

Sound grimaced. He wouldn’t even ask Mr. Perfect, their school president, for help if his life dependent on it. So he reached once again for the ballpoint pen and wrote back:

Come on, pretty please! You know we don’t get along well. Please, I really need your help!

It didn’t take long for the response to arrive, to be precisely it literally bounced off Sound’s head.

- Fine. But we’ll practice at your place and not at school, I don’t want anyone else to see that.

Fascinating.

So far Sound hadn’t known that it was humanly possible to feel relief and panic at the same time.

 

Of course also this somewhat promising advice ended up being a failure.

After cleaning his home for hours and trying to make it as presentable as possible by hiding everything even remotely embarrassing, Win had arrived at Sound’s place and the first thing he’d said was that his home didn’t look cozy at all and why there were barely any personal items.

The honest answer would have been “they’re hidden in drawers and cupboards all around” but instead their first quarrel in days had ensued.

Unsurprisingly their following dance practice had just been an awkward sequence of clumsy steps.

To make things worse, Sound’s hands had been so sweaty that Win even had to let go of him once to quickly wipe his hands on his shirt. Embarrassed to no end Sound had ended the practice shortly after, not wanting to continue this catastrophe up to the point where Win might reconsider his decision of giving him a chance. For a few seconds they had just been standing there in the middle of the living room, both of them equally unsure of what to do next. In the end Win had sighed and smiled at him lopsidedly: “I know I was only invited for practicing the dance, but look, I’m sorry about what I said earlier and I really don’t want to leave like this. Can I stay just a little bit longer?”

It was the first time Win spent the night at his place and even if both of them stayed on their side of the bed, to Sound it felt like a massive improvement.

 

 

15. Keep your hands to yourself

“Blah, blah, blah…” Sound didn’t even bother to read the following lines. He knew that he couldn’t touch Win as he pleased.

Yet.

 

 

16. Keep the conversation balanced

Don’t talk only about yourself, but also give him time to talk as well. This way you not only get to know him but might also learn more about his interests.

Come to think of it, they didn’t talk that much about themselves anyway. Most of the things he’d learned about Win (like his love for video games and rap music) Sound had gathered more or less by accident. And there was no point in talking about himself when all the information about his hobbies and interests could be found on fan pages from which he knew for a fact that Win had checked them out even before they’d met. Who knew? If Sound hadn’t turned their first encounter immediately into a fight he probably would have had a much easier time in winning his classmate over, after all Win had once been his fan.

But it was alright the way it was now.

Sound smiled softly to himself while opening the bottle of soda Win had placed in front of him just a minute ago.

Sweet love with hour-long talks about their wishes and dreams just wasn’t for them.

 

 

17. Suggest hanging out

Don’t even think about inviting him to go to your place, it’s not going to work. Unless in a few really rare cases, this will rather keep him away from you instead of getting you closer. Instead try suggesting places (Have you ever been to…?) like nearby beaches, a sea or maybe a place he might be interested in.

“Ai’Sound, I bought a new two-player game. Wanna check it out this weekend?”

Disappointed Sound turned to his boyfriend: “I have a photo shooting…”

“My parents will be gone to visit my aunt, no matter how late you might drop by, I’ll be awake anyway.”

Sound couldn’t help but grin widely and confirmed their date. Apparently he could skip this advice also.

 

 

18. The goodbye

Of course, you want to get his number or social media. That’s the whole reason why you’re talking to him.

Rolling his eyes Sound ignored this part as well. Maybe he should have rather searched for advanced tips instead.

 

 

19. Have zero expectations

Even if you’ve been talking to him for a while and you might think that you nailed it, that doesn’t mean he owes you anything. He neither has to give you his number or his heart, so make sure not to get your hopes up to high.

“Thanks, really uplifting!” Sound hissed at the defenceless piece of paper before turning back to finishing his breakfast. But of course the goofy advise had already infected his thoughts and he couldn’t help but think about it.

Of course he knew that Win didn’t owe him anything. Hell, it had been a miracle in the first place that after their seemingly endless fights Win had actually agreed to give him a chance.

But how was it even possible to not have any expectations?!

Sound wasn’t naïve enough to believe that Win would just fall for him over night. But it meant something that he was willing to try, right?! Win definitely wasn’t the type who was too polite to say no. If he’d felt absolutely nothing, he wouldn’t have agreed… or?

Sound felt his hands shaking as he reached for his cup.

He would just skip this idiotic part, too.

 

 

20. Accept rejections with grace

It’s going to happen at some point and there’s nothing you can do about it. Just roll with it and don’t take it too seriously. If he tells you that he’s not interested in you, be cool about it and walk away.

Yeah, sure.

Sound would totally be cool about it.

Just as he’d told Win earlier, they would just go back to being friends and Sound totally wouldn’t cry for the next days, weeks, months, years… And he definitely wouldn’t stalk Win on social media for the rest of his life, even though he would know that this would make it even more painful for himself. He would just be totally cool.

He would even be cool with Win falling for someone else, with him getting married to someone he loved.

Someone who wasn’t Sound.

He angrily wiped away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

He was cool with it, for s sake, way too cool to cry!

 

 

21. Walk away and give him space to decide if he likes you

Don’t cling to him all the time, assuming that it’s going to make him fall for you. Instead, it’s most likely to suffocate him. Basically give him the space he needs to work out whether he likes you or not.

His phone rang and Win’s name appeared on the screen.

Sound hesitated. The “giving space”-part was only valid the other way round, right? So as long as Win reached out for him, he could take the call. Once again he wiped his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before accepting the call.

“Hello?”

At first there was nothing but silence, but then he heard Win’s voice.“…. Ai’Sound, what’s wrong?”

“No-nothing! I’m fine!” He hurriedly took a sip from his cup, hoping it would wash down the invisible lump that must have formed while reading the last advices.

“Fine, my ! You sound off.” Win harrumphed. “Whatever, I’m only calling to tell you that I’m standing in front of your home to pick you up, but if you don’t feel well-”

“Give me a minute, I’ll be right there!!”

Screw the space.

 

 

22. Work that eye contact

22 advices into the list and still none of them had actually been helpful. 

Sound sighed and hid the page once again under his grammar book.

However, after seeing Win actually worrying about him this morning he felt a little more at ease now. There was still a chance for him, he just needed to find the one thing that would win his classmate’s heart over.

He stared at the blackboard at the front of the classroom without actually seeing it. Instead his thoughts wandered back to the morning, wandered back to Win who had only needed one look at his face to find the prove for his suspicion that something was wrong. His features had gone all soft when he’d gently cupped Sound’s face and asked him whether he wanted to tell him what was wrong and when Sound had declined, he hadn’t even been angry. He’d just sighed but nodded understandingly before gently placing the helmet on Sound’s head.

He’d been driving slower than usual, too.

Even though Sound had no idea why, he liked the thought that it might have been because of him, just because Win wanted him to hold onto him a little bit longer.

A crumpled paper landed on his table and pulled him out of his daydreaming.

You’re okay now?

Sound smiled softly.

Yes. Thank you.

 

 

23. Be aware of your body language

Our bodies speak for us without us even realizing it. Don’t cross your arms over your body, don’t fidget, and don’t avoid eye contact.

“Already been there”, Sound grouched grumpily. That was exactly what he’d done after realizing his feelings for Win… and yes, by now he knew that it hadn’t been helpful at all, thank you, wisdom wielding website!

 

 

24. Don’t try too hard

In case he rejects you and you still keep going back, trying harder and harder, it’s not endearing, just annoying. If it doesn’t feel natural to you, you’re already trying too hard.

“Why does this ty list exist in the first place then?!” Sound hissed, making the stylist flinch, who’d just been putting make-up on his forehead.

Mortified he pushed the list back in his bag, before whispering a “Sorry…” towards the woman.

She smiled at him sympathetically and patted his shoulder: “Trying too hard might be wrong, but giving up too early isn’t right either.”

She had a point.

 

 

25. Avoid pet names

Calling somebody “baby” or something alike before you even know his real name will NOT help you bring him home. Instead, he’ll most likely be creeped out and even repulsed by pet names like that.

“Pumpkin, stop reading, the movie is about to start!”, Win yelled from the couch and Sound hurriedly pushed the list back into the drawer of his desk.

“Gimme a minute!”

Unfortunately this was yet another one of the completely useless advices.

At first they had barely called each other by their names but instead had often opted for colourful insults. Then, there had been a short time of using each other’s names comfortably and then there had been this one time Sound had spent the night at Win’s place. The next morning his hair had been completely out of place (most likely to the vast amount of hairspray the hairdresser had used on him the previous day) and therefore several strands had been standing up in such a weird day, that Win had had a laughing fit right after waking up. It had taken him several minutes to calm down  again and at that point Sound had already been so angry that he’d been about to get out of bed and storm off into the bathroom.

However, he hadn’t made it that far.

The moment he’d swung his legs out of bed, arms had been wrapped around his waist and a chin had landed on his shoulder.

“Ai’Sound, I’m sorry for laughing, please don’t sulk. You have no idea how adorable you look right now… like a little pumpkin.”

Taken aback by being called adorable by Win, Sound’s anger had immediately vaporized while Win’s arms around him had tightened slightly, his whole body shaking from half-heartedly suppressed laughter.

So yeah… from this day on Sound was pumpkin. Even in front of their bandmates, who by now also knew that they were a thing. Even though the list might have been crap so far, at least there was somehow still a bit of improvement in their relationship.

On a rainy night approximately one week ago Sound had reached for Win’s hand without thinking and instead of making a joke about it or simply pulling away, Win had held Sound’s hand gently but firmly, even when the other members of the music club had entered the room shortly after. Since then, there had even been a few occasions on which it had been Win who had reached for Sound’s hand first.

Still, there was the fear that Win might tell him some day that he’d failed, that Sound had never managed to make his heart beat faster.

 

 

26. Don’t boast about money

Some people think others flock to them if they flash a pretty penny. Instead, a braggart like that often comes across as being really arrogant and douchey and will be ignored or avoided altogether.

Sound sighed and leaned back on the couch, letting his head fall onto the backrest.

Why was he even reading this nonsense anymore?

Right now he had definitely more urgent problems.

They had just lost Hot Wave and currently it felt as if not even all the money in the world could ever lift the mood. From all the members, their failure had hit Win the most. He’d put the blame on himself, on Gun, simply on everybody.

And then he’d cried.

Sound hadn’t seen him cry before and he never wanted to see him cry again.  

He sat up straight and reached for his phone, calling the number he’d last talked to. The dial tone rang several times, but Win didn’t answer.

Sound tried to call him repeatedly over the next twenty minutes, but in the end he had to accept that his boyfriend didn’t want to talk to him right now. Disheartened Sound stood up from the couch and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

When he returned to the living room a while later, his phone blinked, signalling that he’d received a message.

Can we talk tomorrow?

 

 

27. Don’t go from guy to guy in the same place

No one wants to be anybody’s second, third, or even last choice and you never know whose watching you. So if you fail and immediately approach the next one, chances are high, he or his friends have noticed your previous failure. In that case you’re screwed right from the get go.

Tze.

There was no one else like Win, there had never been anyone else like Win and there surely would never be anyone else like Win.

Sound shook his head because of this absolutely ridiculous point before concentrating on the next, hopefully a little more helpful advice.

 

 

28. Keep it positive and playful

A deep and meaningful text is not going to win him over, but probably bore him instead. Keep it light and positive, and you’re far more likely to catch his attention.

“TNT tonight?”

“What?”

“Teriyaki and the new season of Titans at my place?”

“On the way.”

Sound grinned and pushed his phone in his pocket before reaching for his jacket. Nope, most of their messages couldn’t be called deep. At least this point he was getting right.

 

 

29. Don’t overthink it

If he doesn’t reply to your texts immediately, don’t overthink it by trying to analyse your message and what you’ve might done wrong. Try to distract yourself instead and don’t stress out.

Sound glanced at Win who was right now caught up in a heated discussion with Gun and Por.

The topic?

Hot pot or fried chicken.

After shaking his head slightly, Sound smiled and rested his chin on his hands, watching his boyfriend gesticulating intensely to prove his point.

Right after they’d lost the competition there had been a few moments in which Sound had been extremely scared that the day he’d dreaded had actually come, that Win was only minutes away from telling him to just give up and get lost.

He’d done exactly what was advised not to do. Not only text messages, but instead he’d replayed each and every moment he’d had with Win, had tried to analyse his mistakes, had tried to find a way to change course in the last minute to avoid the seemingly inevitable crash. 

And then it had been over.

Not their relationship, but their crises.

At some point Win had apologized and then everyone else had apologized as well and within a blink of an eye simply everything had been back to normal.

Well, almost everything.

The only difference was that Sound was now even more in love with this hot-headed idiot he fortunately could still call his boyfriend.

 

 

30. Be subtle

When it comes to hitting up someone, it’s safer to keep it subtle. Don’t go straight in there and tell him you like him. That’s just a little too forward!

Sound rolled his eyes, crumpled the last page and tossed it into the trash bin.

What a waste of time!

For weeks he’d tried to make Win’s heart beat faster by following almost each and every of these bad advices, and had it made any difference? Nope, not at all.

And yet their relationship had still improved.

Who needed advice from random people online anyway?!

He walked in front of the mirror to check his appearance for one last time, to make sure that he looked good today. It was their graduation, after all.

His phone rang, just once, signalling that Win was waiting for him downstairs. Sound smiled and reached for his bag.

Win.

His boyfriend.

The man who would move in with him within the next few weeks.

At first Win had complained at the idea, saying that it wasn’t fair if Sound’s family would pay the rent while he couldn’t contribute anything, but he’d been quickly overruled by everyone else.

Sounds own parents? Given their unimpressed reaction, they had already expected him to come up with this request and were fine with it. They had met Win only a few times, but they had been forced to listen to Sounds stories about him from the first day on. At some point his mother had actually told him nonchalantly that she’d wondered at which point he would finally realize that it wasn’t hatred he’d been feeling for Win.

And Win’s parents? Not to brag, but Win’s family loved Sound dearly by now and so they had immediately agreed to pay a share of the rent, as it meant that Win’s way to university would be much shorter than if he stayed with them. Furthermore – and that might have been the most important point - there would be someone around who would make sure that Win would be dragged to the lessons on time each day.

Finally realizing that he’d lost this fight, Win himself had seemingly grumpy given in but Sound had clearly seen that he’d been grinning widely as soon as he’d thought Sound wasn’t paying attention to him anymore.

Too bad Sound was always paying attention to no one else but Win.

He quickly locked the door and hurried down the stairs.

 

 

“No one wants me to sign their shirts...”, Win said a few hours later, the disappointment written all over his face. Even though there were countless little heart- and flower-shaped stickers all over his shirt which he’d received from his schoolmates, he was still a bit disgruntled by the fact that every few minutes someone approached Sound to ask for his signature on their shirt, but rarely anyone had asked Win. Their schoolmates had followed Sound even to this secluded part of the school where literally no one else was around except Win, who’d been sent here to check if every room was locked for the summer, and Sound, who was clinging to Win, even if advice No. 21 had clearly told him that it was one of the worst things he could do.

“Sign mine”, Sound said, already holding out a pen for his boyfriend, whose smile reappeared immediately.

While Win took the cap from the pen, Sound turned around and his classmate almost immediately began to write on the back of his shirt, starting on the right side of his left shoulder and continuing all the way to the right one.

Once he was done, Sound pulled on his shirt, trying to find out what Win had written on it.

Stop trying to look handsome, you idiot…

Torn between disbelieve and the urge to laugh loudly Sound turned around to face Win again: “You just picked a fight! Come here, it’s my turn to sign yours!” He tried to snatch the pen from his boyfriend’s hand, but Win pulled it away. “I didn’t ask you to!”

“Give it to me!”

“I didn’t ask you to sign! I did not-”

The ensuing, short brawl was accompanied by carefree laughter and Sound wished he could fill this moment into a bottle to relieve it over and over again later. In the end they somehow managed to crash into a wall, Win’s back colliding with the door to one of the classrooms with Sound stumbling into him.

Even though Sound immediately leaned back slightly, hands still on the wall on both sides next to Win, no one of them seemed to want to increase the distance between them. Instead they were just standing there, smiling at each other, breathing heavily, hearts racing.

“If this moment was in a drama”, Sound stated, “I’d be kissing you already.”

In reality however, it was Win who suddenly closed the distance, gently pressing his lips against Sound’s.

Months of uncertainty and the fear of losing him forever, wiped away with just one feather light touch.

When Win pulled away only seconds later, Sound still felt a little lightheaded, so his boyfriend’s next words had no easy task to make their way into his mind: “I won’t let you kiss me first… you bastard.”

Grinning Sound complied and nodded giddily, before attacking the squirming and complaining Win with even more kisses.

 

Only several hours later when Sound were standing in Win’s bathroom, changing his clothes for the night, he was able to read the whole message Win had written on his shirt:

Stop trying to look handsome, you idiot… because it makes my heart so weak.

 

 

 

 

Daaaamn, It has been such a long time since I’ve published anything here, I actually forgot how to navigate the website. (Shame on me, shame on my family, shame on my cow!) °xD

For everyone who doesn’t know “My school president” and only accidentally clicked on this story:

1. Thanks for making it all the way to this point
2. You can listen to the song Sound has written for Win here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNOo1gzXdeg

In case there’s still anybody out there who knows me from the B.A.P section: hello there, I hope you’re not too disappointed about the fact that this story is  a) not about B.A.P and b) just fluffy with nothing spicy going on. I don’t know why it turned out to be all sugary, maybe I’m getting more prudish the older I get. O_o° xD But don’t get used to it! With the “We are” series coming in 2024  (in which the same actors will be playing a couple again) I might be tempted to write something a little more mature (LOL. You already know there is no “a little more” mature, if I decide to write something spicy they’ll be rolling around in the sheets until the neighbours file a complaint).

Anyway, thanks for reading and have a nice day! :D